The Evolution of Lingerie

If you were a woman in the 1800s, you'd probably be used to lingerie being something basic and plain, serving the sole purpose of keeping your modesty under wraps. The thought of a woman wearing a sexy, revealing piece of clothing would have most, if not all men, recoiling in horror. Perish the thought. Fast forward to 2018, the once simple slips that were made to be concealed under clothing are now worn as outerwear, adorned with extensive lace and sometimes sheer panels. Underwear is now used to entice and as a way to give you a quick, easy confidence boost. Here, we're going to take a brief peruse at a few significant moments in lingerie's history that have shaped what we see today.

We all know that open-crotch underwear today is seen as something a little bit kinky, but back in the 1930s it was anything but. This particular feature was used as a means of telling the difference between men and women's underwear.

The image of the female pin-up was popular in advertisements for underwear at this time. The women would often take on suggestive poses, drawing attention to the curves of their bodies. This would be done to tell women that the underwear they owned was made to be seen. Bettie Page was a well-renowned model who posed as a pin-up.

Fashion designer Rudi Gernreich created a transparent bra in the mid 1960's - the first of its kind. It was made as a means of promoting sexual liberation. Due to its lack of support, it only came in cup sizes A and B. Today, we see similar bralettes that come in a range of sizes, to cater to any woman.

In the USA, some Virginia delegates tried to ban the intentional display of underwear (in an inappropriate manner). Of course this attempt was unsuccessful - the underwear we purposely see on show in public today is proof of this.

Lingerie has pretty much come full circle. Popular things went out of fashion and made a swift comeback. The majority of us nowadays still strive to create the illusion of an hourglass figure through our choice of clothing (god bless the invention of corsets). Those before us paved the way for us without even really knowing it.

Bras, briefs, suspenders and bodies are extremely accessible today, and every girl can admit that they love a bit of luxury once in a while. So do yourself a favour, treat yourself to a swanky lingerie set and wear it with pride. Make our predecessors proud.